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REEL FAITH IN POP CULTURE Reel Faith in Pop Culture is newsletter from FilmPR.com that compiles headlines and resources to inform the Christian community of the growing impact of Christians in pop culture. To get the full story click on the link. For questions or comments about this bi-weekly newsletter please contact Leo Partible at leo@filmpr.com Also visit his website at www.dpgvisions.com CONTENTS QUOTES OF THE WEEK: *Best selling author and comic book writer Neil Gaiman talks Alice Cooper and Elvis *Science Fiction writer Gene Wolfe on his Christian faith *Alice Cooper on his friendship with theologian R.C. Sproul *Liberal Christian author Anne Lamott talks about loving President Bush HEADLINES: *Disney sets out to make 'The Passion for kids'*Narnia one of USA Today's top 5 anticipated films of the year *Tyler Perry puts his faith behind 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman'*The 'Black Woman' who ate Hollywood *Rock star Bono possible World Bank president? *God on the Quad -- New England's liberal college campuses have become fertile ground for the evangelical movement *PAX's FAITH UNDER FIRE puts faith in the hot seat *KORN guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch becomes a Christian *Christian Billionaire turns eye towards movies*Comics conference explores underlying religious themes*Center of Christianity moves to Africa*Hillary Clinton moves self, whole party into the religious middle *Documentary explores the life of first 60s 'Jesus Freak' – Lonnie Frisbee *Evangelical Leaders Swing Influence Behind Effort to Combat Global Warming *An Orlando impresario is making believers in the music business, shepherding the careers of `artists who are Christians' *Hilary Clinton joins forces with Republican Santorum to seek ratings on Children's Media PRESS RELEASE: The Biola Media Conference announces 'The Deep End' RECOMMENDED BOOKS: *THE WONDER OF HIS LOVE: A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF GOD by Nancy Stafford (Multnomah Books) *WHO NEEDS A SUPERHERO? by H. Michael Brewer (with a Forward by Leo Partible) QUOTES OF THE WEEK: Best selling author and comic book writer Neil Gaiman talks Alice Cooper and Elvis: "Alice (Cooper) told me the story about the time he met Elvis Presley. Elvis showed him his karate skills. It was just so cool, sitting there, watching the storm roll in, listening to the story. (laughs) Hanging out with the dream king: Neil Gaiman, Conversations with Neil Gaiman and his collaborators Science Fiction writer Gene Wolfe on his Christian faith: "Well, I'm a Christian, and I don't think that Neil (Gaiman) is a Christian. I believe in the divinity of Christ. I don't believe that Neil does. Now maybe I'm wronging him, but my guess is that he does not. But I think both of us agree in the existence of God, and in a God who is ultimately unknowable. If God has an infinite mind, then human beings are not capable of understanding that mind...we need to relate to God in a way that's satisfactory to both parties, and to adjust our behavior in a way that's satisfactory to God as well as us." (Note: Gene Wolfe is widely considered one of science fiction's finest authors. So fine, infact, that he is often the writer whose books SF writers hand their non-SF reading friends when they wish to show them the genre's possibilities. His books include highly acclaimed masterpiece BOOK OF THE NEW SUN and THE KNIGHT) Alice Cooper on his friendship with theologian R.C. Sproul:Doug Van Pelt: Speaking of celebrities -- is it true that you have a friendship with R.C. Sproul? Alice Cooper: Oh yeah. RC is one of my heroes. When I first became a Christian, I went to a few of the retreats, and I just love to hear him talk. I loved his books. His books were really good, because they were written so that I could understand them, and they were practical. I understand practical Christianity. I love to read things that I can apply to my life. From ROCK STARS ON GOD (Relevant Books) Liberal Christian author Anne Lamott talks about loving President Bush:I know that Bush is family, and I am supposed to love him, but I hate this – he is a dangerous member of the family – maybe I can't exactly forgive him right now, in the sense of canceling my resentment and judgment. But I can simply acknowledge what is true spiritually – that he gets to come and eat at the table, too; that I would not let him starve. In heaven, I may have to sit next to him, and in heaven, I know, I will love him. From PLAN B: FURTHER THOUGHTS ON FAITH (Riverhead Books) HEADLINES: Disney sets out to make 'The Passion for kids':Walt Disney is to promote its $100 million adaptation of C S Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a "Passion of the Christ for kids" in an attempt to secure worldwide Christian support for the film. Disney executives have organised private meetings with several church groups in America to emphasise the themes of Christian redemption and sacrifice contained in the film, which will open in December with an all-star cast. In an effort to ensure that the Narnia film reaches a similar audience, Disney has hired Motive Marketing, a public relations company that specialises in reaching out to faith groups and was widely credited with the success of The Passion of the Christ. It has shown clips from the film to representatives from church groups and religious media. The strategy has already met with enormous success. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/06/wnarn06.xml Narnia one of USA Today's top 5 anticipated films of the year:On a quest for its own Lord of the Rings, Disney launches a potential fantasy franchise with a deluxe treatment based on C.S. Lewis' stories of a magical kingdom ruled by the messianic lion Aslan. The film adventure, based on the best-known book in the seven-part series, follows four London siblings during World War II who are sent to stay in the country home of a kindly professor (Jim Broadbent). They discover a hidden passage in a wardrobe that leads to Narnia, a strange world blanketed by snow and inhabited by mythical creatures and talking animals. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-03-03-popcorn-movies_x.htm Tyler Perry puts his faith behind 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman':One of the possible hurdles in exposing Perry to a wider audience is that he considers himself a "man of faith," and, contrary to much cultural product, there are numerous overt expressions of Christian belief throughout "Diary." Though he does not consider himself evangelical, Perry is unabashed in espousing his religion. "I know being Christian, there are some people it's going to turn off," he says. "But it's very important to me. I don't make any apologies for it. It is what it is. I know the power of it." http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-0503040351mar04,1,3047663.story The 'Black Woman' who ate Hollywood:The old phrase, "It's a black thing, you wouldn't understand," is hackneyed and politically incorrect. But it may be the only way to explain the surprise in Hollywood when a movie called "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" hit No. 1 at the box office - despite no big stars, little advance advertising and almost laughably bad reviews."We've got Tyler Fever," says Michael Paseornek, the studio's head of production. "This is a series that will go on for a long time - as long as Tyler wants to take it." Hollywood may have been totally blindsided by Perry's success, but he wasn't. "I know my audience, and they're not people that the studios know anything about," says Perry, who has built a multimillion-dollar empire from entertaining a family-oriented, largely Christian and almost entirely African-American audience. Rock star Bono possible World Bank president?:Treasury Secretary John Snow on Sunday would not rule out the idea of Irish singer Bono (search), an activist on debt relief and AIDS, making the short list of potential candidates to lead the World Bank (search) even though an American is expected to get the job. "He's somebody I admire. He does a lot of good in this world of economic development," Snow said. "Most people know him as a rock star. He's in a way a rock star of the development world, too. He understands the give-and-take of development. He's a very pragmatic, effective and idealistic person," Snow said. Snow is part of the Bush administration team working on finding a successor to James Wolfensohn (search), who is stepping down as head of the development bank on June 1. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149564,00.html God on the Quad -- New England's liberal college campuses have become fertile ground for the evangelical movement:There are 15 evangelical Christian fellowship groups at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology alone. This is a pretty stunning development for a university where science has always been god, where efficiency and rationality are embedded in the DNA of the cold granite campus. Hundreds of MIT students are involved in these fellowships -- blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asians, especially Asians. Some of the groups are associated with powerhouse national evangelical organizations, like Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Others are more home-grown. Either way, the ranks are multiplying... It's the same on campuses across the Boston area. At Harvard University, "there are probably more evangelicals than at any time since the 17th century," says the Rev. Peter J. Gomes, religious historian and minister of the university's Memorial Church, who arrived on campus in 1970. "And I don't think I have ever seen a wider range of Christian fellowship activity." http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2003/11/30/god_on_the_quad/PAX's FAITH UNDER FIRE puts faith in the hot seat:On PAX TV's "Faith Under Fire," questions such as these are debated like there's no tomorrow. It's a show where clergymen get hot under the collar. It's "Crossfire" (rest in peace) with a dash of hellfire.If your notion of religious broadcasting is PBS' "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly," where correspondents take a "60 Minutes"-like approach to stories, or ABC Family's "The 700 Club," where everybody testifies and fellowships, "Faith Under Fire" may be a revelation. If you love to argue about God and religion, it may be TV heaven. KORN guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch becomes a Christian:Two months after his first visit to the Valley Bible Fellowship, Brian "Head" Welch, who announced his departure from Korn last week (see "Brian 'Head' Welch Explains Why He Left Korn"), held a sort of Christian coming-out party here Sunday in front of an estimated 10,000 churchgoers in three separate services. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1497529/20050228/korn.jhtml?headlines=true Christian Billionaire turns eye towards movies:(Phillip) Anschutz, 65, built an empire over four decades by relying on an instinct for underdeveloped areas, be they in oil, railroads, sports, newspapers or theaters. The Anschutz Film Group is the umbrella for two companies he formed to produce family-friendly fare. Bristol Bay Productions was behind Ray. Walden Media works with teachers and librarians to pick books that can be movies. So far, they include Around the World in 80 Days, Because of Winn Dixie (out now) and the critically acclaimed Holes. Walden is working with Disney on C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, due in December. Anschutz is a Presbyterian, but associates say he doesn't try to influence projects with his beliefs. Hackford said he and Anschutz disagreed only about the rating for Ray. Anschutz insisted on PG-13. http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2005-02-28-anschutz-ap_x.htm Comics conference explores underlying religious themes: Leo Partible remains grateful to the creators who "continued to dream big" for the comic-book industry. The geniuses in the industry never gave up and transformed it into a legitimate art form. If not for them, blockbusters like Pixar's The Incredibles would have never existed and The Lord of the Rings would have forever remained a trilogy of novels, Partible said. He feels that traditional evangelical witnessing too often abandons crucial Christian attributes such as love, patience and sacrifice. "Don't tell us the Gospel, show us the Gospel and how it impacted humanity," Partible said. "Instead of simply telling about the subject of sin and its consequences, showing it through visual support is a far more effective way of conveying the message." http://www.pba.edu/beacon/story.cfm?story=49 Center of Christianity moves to Africa: If a clergyman's success is measured by the size of his flock, then Africa's priests stand to inherit the earth. Their congregations are growing faster than any since the earliest years of Christianity. The pews of Africa's churches now hold 390 million worshippers – more than three times the total of 35 years ago. Over the next two decades, Africa's congregation is likely to grow by another 200 million, causing a huge shift in the character of the Christian faith. Its heartland will move decisively southwards, away from the empty churches of Europe and into the developing world. Hillary Clinton moves self, whole party into the religious middle: If it's true that the Democratic Party is about to get religion, then Hillary Clinton is first at the altar. Much has been made of Clinton's newly softened image—the way she tore down her old liberal icon and got spiritual over abortion, for instance. She told an Albany crowd on January 24 that abortion represents "a sad, even tragic choice to many, many women," and singled out "religious and moral values" as an antidote to teenage sex. Never mind the New York junior senator's continued advice that pro-choice activists find "common ground" with their anti-abortion counterparts. It would appear Senator Clinton had picked the perfect venue to start getting religious on the public stage... The affair's host was Reverend Eugene Rivers III, the spiritual leader of the Pentecostal Azusa Christian Community and a prominent black minister willing to do business with the Bush White House. On January 25, he was among a coterie of clergy who met with President Bush in Washington. His Ten Point foundation has benefited from federal funding thanks to the administration's faith-based program. And Rivers has appeared in documents issued by the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives pushing one of its most controversial elements—that faith-based agencies be allowed to ignore state and local anti-discrimination laws but still receive federal money. And then there's his outspoken stance against same-sex marriage... Documentary explores the first 60s 'Jesus Freak' – Lonnie Frisbee: Lonnie Frisbee put the freak in Jesus freak. With his long brown hair, long craggily beard, dusty clothing, scent of Mary Jane and glint of his last LSD trip in his eyes, he showed up out of nowhere, at the height of the '60s, literally on Chuck Smith's doorstep. Smith was just another conservative Orange County pastor. He'd moved from a small church in Corona to an even smaller one in Costa Mesa, yet had impressively boosted membership from three people to more than 200. http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/05/26/cover-coker.php Evangelical Leaders Swing Influence Behind Effort to Combat Global Warming: A core group of influential evangelical leaders has put its considerable political power behind a cause that has barely registered on the evangelical agenda, fighting global warming. These church leaders, scientists, writers and heads of international aid agencies argue that global warming is an urgent threat, a cause of poverty and a Christian issue because the Bible mandates stewardship of God's creation.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050310/ZNYT02/503100853 An Orlando impresario is making believers in the music business, shepherding the careers of `artists who are Christians': At the same time, bands such as Switchfoot have become leading players in the Christian-music industry. Switchfoot, MercyMe and Casting Crowns made rock the year's dominant trend in year-end statistics compiled by the Gospel Music Association in Nashville, Tenn. Switchfoot's The Beautiful Letdown was the year's top-selling release on Billboard's Christian albums chart. The big numbers partly resulted from a distribution deal between Christian label Sparrow Records and media giant Columbia that yielded more exposure for the San Diego band. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ Hilary Clinton joins forces with Republican Santorum to seek ratings on Children's Media: Mrs. Clinton, a Democrat from New York, also called on industry leaders to create a uniform ratings system that would warn parents about sex and violence in video games, television and other forms of entertainment that children might be exposed to. By contrast, parents now look to a patchwork of ratings systems that differ from one sector of the industry to another. Later in the day, Mrs. Clinton joined a bipartisan group of senators - Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut; Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas; and Rick Santorum, Republican of Pennsylvania - on Capitol Hill to introduce legislation requiring the government to study the impact of media on the development of young children. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/10/politics/10hillary.html PRESS RELEASE: The Biola Media Conference announces 'The Deep End' The Biola Media Conference celebrates 10 years of advancing the integration of faith and the arts with conferences that educate, inspire, and support people of faith involved or interested in media. On April 23, 2005, come join in the opportunity to learn and interact with top industry pro's from Film, Radio, Journalism, PR, & Worship as they share their wisdom gained from swimming in THE DEEP END. THE DEEP END: Navigating the Open Waters of Hollywood When our Media Conference began in 1995, Christians were hoping to get a foot in Hollywood's door. Faithful role models were limited both in number and in relative success. Thank God for pioneers who paved the way for the myriad of inroads enjoyed by today's faith-fueled storytellers. Today, the unparalleled reception of Bruce Almighty, The Passion and Joan of Arcadia raises a completely different set of questions for the Christian community in Hollywood. It is no longer a question of accessing power, but figuring out what to do with our growing opportunities. What kind of stories do we want to tell? How do we deal with money, power, success and failure? What might become our new blind spots? This new era presents new challenges. For our 10th annual event, we want to move the conversation forward, to figure out how to swim in THE DEEP END. We've left the shore, we've gotten wet, we've learned how to stay afloat. Now, how do we navigate the high seas of Hollywood? We've invited experts who have learned to swim with the sharks, who have discerned what it means to be to be shrewd, to be ambitious yet innocent - to work, serve and thrive in the open waters of Hollywood. So grab your life jacket as we dive into THE DEEP END! Details: Saturday, April 23rd Biola University Attendees: $50 For more information go to: http://mcom.biola.edu/bmc/index.html RECOMMENDED BOOKS: The Wonder of His Love: A Journey Into the Heart of God by Nancy Stafford (Multnomah Books) ISBN: 1590523253 Imagine what life would be like if you began to grasp the depth of God's passionate love for you. It would change you. It would calm your fears, transform how you see yourself, and ignite you with love for Him and others. In thirty-one stirring reflections, Nancy offers a fresh glimpse into the many facets of God's love, then invites you to venture deeper into the mystery and majesty of His love, to embark on a never-ending journey into the heart of God. "I want you to know", says Stafford, "that the God of the universe is wild about you, enthralled with you, completely consumed with love for you. So come...experience the wonder of His love." From Publishers Weekly:
Order from Amazon (ISBN: 1590523253): WHO NEEDS A SUPERHERO? by H. Michael Brewer (with a Forward by Leo Partible) (Baker Books) Christian audiences need a resource that will help them understand the Biblical themes presented in the comic book inspired films and television shows such as The Incredibles, The Matrix, Spider-Man, The X-Men, Smallville, Buffy The Slayer, Blade, The Hulk, Daredevil, Unbreakable, Hellboy, The Punisher, The Road to Perdition, Ghost World, From Hell, American Splendor, and the upcoming Elektra, Batman Begins, The Fantastic Four, Star Wars Episode 3: The Revenge of the Sith, and the new Superman film. Order from Amazon: RESOURCES: The following is a list of resources to keep you informed of the latest news regarding Christians involved in the mainstream culture. Mainstream Entertainment NewsAin't It Cool News CinescapeComing Soon Dark Horizons Media Sharx Box Office GrossesBox Office Mojo Box Office Report TV RatingsThe Futon Critic Media Week Zap2It Mainstream BlogsMatt Drudge Movie Reviews (national roundup) Rotten Tomatoes Christian perspectiveChristian Online Magazines (Pop culture, entertainment & politics) CBN Christian Post Christianity Today Cornerstone http://www.cornerstonemag.com/ Faith N' Film Fuse Magazine Relevant Magazine Movie ReviewsHollywood Jesus Movieguide Crosswalk Christians in Mainstream MusicRock Rebel The Emerging Church and pop cultureThe Ooze The Voice Behind National ColumnsTerry Mattingly Chuck Colson Christian Blogs (pop culture, politics, and faith) Terry Mattingly, Douglas LeBlanc, and Jeremy Lott Steve Beard Barbara Nicolosi www.churchofthemasses.blogspot.com Evangelical Outpost http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/ Intersectionz www.intersectionz.blogspot.com Urban LegendsTruth Miners Christians in the Hollywood Mainstream (Organizations) Act One Program Hollywood Connect Intermission MasterMedia http://www.mastermediaintl.org 168 Film Project |
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